Flour sifter



March 4, 1947. I BML 2,416,810

FLOUR SIFTER I Filed Feb. 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tfieadareba I79;

I N VEN TOR.

BY I

ATTDRNEYE March 4, 1947. .BA EY L 2,416,810

FLOUR SIFTER Filed Feb. 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 1 refiaz'ley INVENT R.

ATTU RN EYS Patented Mar. 4, 1947 I .l v

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FLOUR SIFTER Theodore Bailey, Habana, Cuba Application February 7, 1944, Serial No.521,395

4 Claims. (or. 209-357) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in flour sitters of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,204,920, issued June 18, 1940, and has for an object the provision of a flour sifter of generally improved construction.

Another object-of the invention is to provide a flour sifter having improved screen oscillating mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description progresses.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout:

Figure 1 is a view mainlyin longitudinal section through the flour sifter and partly in elevation,

Figure 2 is a transversesectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1,? Figure 3 is a similar viewtakenlon line -3-"-3 of Figure 1, l i

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 44 of Figure 1, l

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a receptacle forming the lower part of the sifter,

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the bottom valve disks for closing'the discharge opening of the sifter, and l Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 8-8 of Figure 5. v v

Referring to the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred example of the invention, l designates the body of the sitter in the form of an elongated cylindrical shell of rigid sheet material open at each end and formed with circumferential reinforcing corrugations H at longitudinally spaced intervals. At each of its ends the body shell I is provided, at diametrically spaced positions, with a pair of angular or bayonet slots l2. To one side of the shell I0 is secured, as by. welding, an approximately U-shaped handle l3 disposed longitudinally of the body and advantageously having its intermediate portion bowed inwardly as shown at Figure 1. Adjacent one end the handle I3 has aportion of its web struck inwardly to form a stop l4. I

Mounted transversely within the shell l0 intermediate its ends is a guide member I in the form of an essentially rectangular elongated loop rounded at the ends inconformity with the circumferential curvature of the shell. This guide member may be formed of a metallic strip of generally channel shaped cross section with its flanges directed inwardly and the intermediate portion of the webinwardly offset as shown to advantage at Figure 5. This guide loop is firmly supported inthe shell by attachment, as by soldering or the like, to an annular portion it of reduced diameter medially of the ends of the shell, as shown at Figure 1.

Mounted axially in the shell I0 and extending through the guide loop 15 is a shaft ll having fixed thereon a transversely disposedseglnental spur gear it. This gear is cooperatively related with a slide member IS in the form of an elongated rectangular loop supported on and disposed toslide longitudinally in the guide member l5. The loop member l9 may be advantageously formed of a continuous lengthof channel bar having its flanges directed outwardly in sliding engagement between the flanges of the loop I5, as shown at Figure 4, the member l9 having a length slightly exceeding onehalf; the length of the guide loop. One longitudinal side of the slide member I9 is provided with a plurality of longitudinallyspaced openings 20 designed to receive the teeth of the spur gear 18 therein and to effect turning of the gear upon slide movement of theslide loop. To one end of the loop 19 isfixedly secured the inner end of a transversely projecting connecting rod 2| mounted to slide through a bore 22 of a bearing ZZ and through an opening IS in the reduced center portion P6 of the shell. The bearing 22 which may be formed of hard plastic or the like, is held in position by struck in portions [5'1 of the loop l-5. Above and below the loops l5 and I9, in the normal vertical arrangement of the body, are mounted a pair of sifting screens 23, advantageously of fine mesh Wire of circular contour and parallel with-the loops. These screens are of a diameter .slightlysmaller than theinterior diameter of the shell and have their peripheral -margins welded or secured at any suitable maning radial arms 2'! connecting with the ring 24 of each screen mounting. A pin 28 disposed transversely through an aperture at each end portion of the shaft retains the hub assembly in operative association upon the shaft with the lowinsertstfl of resilient cushioning material in the I opposite free end. This lever, which may be ad:-

vantageously formed of plastic material, is provided with a longitudinal groove 3| in its outer side in that portion adjacent the pivoted end and has a tapered slot 32 transversely therethrough and through a boss 33 at its inner side. Within the slot 32 is mounted a link bar 34 having one end connected by a pivot 3'5 to the outer portion of the lever and its opposite inner end pivotally connected to the outer end of the connecting rod it. This provides afiexible connection enabling pivotal movement of the lever to efiect rectilinear reciprocating movement of the connecting rod. A strip 36 of spring metal is mounted in inverted U-shaped position with-in the handle with one end portion bearing against the inwardly bowed outer part of the handle and its opposite end portion fitted in the groove SI and bearing against the lever to yieldingly force the latter inwardly toward the body. At the opposite end the in serts or cushioning pads 30 on inner and outer parts of the lever are disposed to make contact with the stop Id in the inward position of the lever and with the handle respectively in the outermost position thereof.

On the uppermost end of the body shell ID is normally fitted a flanged cover cap 3'! having a U-shaped handle 38 secured thereon and provided with inwardly projecting pins 39 engageable with the bayonet slots I2 for removably securing the cover on the body. 7 I l At the lower end of the body is attached are ducer fitting of funnel shaped configuration having a cylindrical flange 48 slidably fitted over the lower end of the shell andwhich may have trans verse corrugations for convenient turning. A frusto-conical portion 4| depends from thefiange 46 and joins a cylindrical bottom flange 42 of re;- duced diameter at its lower end, the latter flange havinga plurality of; in the present instance three, inwardly projecting studs'43. Atthe lower portion of the frusto-conical part 4| of the fitting is mounted a transversely disposed disk 44 provided with three sector shaped discharge openings 45 and having a flared peripheral rim 45 soldered or otherwise fixed in the fitting. In face to face relation with the disk 44 is mounted a companion disk M of approximately corresponding diameter and disposed immediately below the disk 5 3. The lower disk 41 is provided with three sector shaped openings 43 approximately corresponding to andregistrable with the openings 45 in the upper disk, a headed pivot 49 being extended through center apertures in the disks to oscillatingly support the lower disk with relation to the upper fixed disk. At circumferentially spaced intervals the bottom disk 4'! is formedwith a plurality'of downwardly pointed depending tongues 50 at its peripheral portion while, at the edgeof one of its openingsAB it is formed with an upstanding lug '5! engageable with a notch 52 in one radial edge of the upper disk so as to limit the turning movement of the bottom disks to an angular movement corresponding to the angular di mension of its openings.

Detachably engageable with the flange 42 in register with the disk controlled bottom discharge openings of the body is a cylindrical cup-shaped receptacle 53 which may advantageously be formed of transparent plastic having its bottom end closed and its top end open. In the upper exterior portion the receptacle is provided with three uniformly spaced L-shaped bayonet slot sections 54 opening through the top edge of the receptacle for engagement with the pins 43, each cr which is in continuation with an ofiset, i. e.,

lower, bayonet slot section 54, the same having the adjacent ends of their circumferential portions communicating with one another. Interiorly of the top edge portion of the receptacle are provided three spaced triangular shaped recesses 55 designed to slidably receive therein the tongues 58' of the bottom disk i1. Thus, as the receptacle is slidably fitted within the flange 42, the vertical and circumferentialportions of the upper bayonet slot sections 5% receive the pins d3, prior to the engagement of the tongues-5E! in the recesses 55, so that the receptacle is supported in position on the flange 22, without disturbing the valve disk d1. Upon turning the receptacle in a counterciockwise direction, as viewed at Figures 1 andfi, the pins 53 will pass from the circumferential portions of the upper bayonet slot sections 43 and downwardly into the similar portions of the offset or lower bayonet slot sections 5 8', when, upon continued turning of the receptacle, the bottom disk istcaused to'turn and bring its openings 68 into registration with the openings d5 in the upper disk providing valvular ineans for opening the receptacle to the body for the r'eception' of flour into the former. As the receptacle is turned to open the discharge controlling disk the pins 43 fully engage the circumferential portions of the bayonet slot sections 56' to support the receptacle in filling position. As shown at Figure 6, the receptacle may be marked by circular lines to designate one-quarter, one-halter thre'e qu'arters of a cup of flour.

As shown at Figure 1, the flange lfi'of' the reducing fitting attached to the bottom of the body may be equipped with a pair of inwardly projecting studs 5% for engagement with bayonet slots !2 in the bottom end portion-of the body sheil for removably securing the fitting in position] To that side of the body opposite thehandle connection is secured a longitudinally extending rigidlstrip STh-av'ing fixed to its medial portion an outwardly. projecting: headed" gudgeon 58 adapt-ed toslidably' engage the vertical slot '59 of an offset bracket til adapted to be'seci-ired in ertic'al'awrarigement toa supporting wall or panel.

This provides a readily releasable mounting for the body and enables turningthereof to reverse ring 62 .sprung therein. Each of the rings 6 2 is rcrme'a with inWardly 'di-rected flange e3 s"- posed adjacent to and positioned to cover the peripheral ringportion of the screens so as 'to'p'ree vent the flour dropping between the screensand' the shel-l-wall. V a v V A The flour pla c'edin the body sh'elliby removaliof the cover cap 31 issubjectedt'o siftingf action by manual operation of the lever 28, the hand of the operator gripping the handle and the lever and pulling the lever outwardly against the, outer portion of the handle by movement of the fingers. The lever is returned to its inward position, as shown in full lines at Figure 1, by the action of the spring 35 with the inward bumper pad 30 contacting the stop element 14. Such oscillating movement of the lever effects back and forth reciprocation of the slide member IS on the guide loop IS with the result that the apertures rack forming side portions of the slide maintaining engagement with the gear 8, oscillates the latter together with the upper and lower screens 23 fixed to the gear shaft through an angular movement of approximately 180 degrees. The sifted flour dropping through the screens is collected in desired quantity in the suspended receptacle 53 which, upon being turned in a clockwise direction to cause the pins 43 to pass from the offset or lower bayonet slot sections 54 back into the upper bayonet slot sections 55, effects closing of the discharge openings and enables detachment of the receptacle.

As will be noted from Figure 1, the corrugations H, especially those between the sifting screens and the top end, are spaced axially of the shell at intervals corresponding to cupfuls of flour and may be advantageously marked successively so as to indicate the quantity of flour therein in terms of cupfuls.

It will also be observed that when the receptacle 53 is removed from the bottom end of the shell the bottom forming valve disks are, by the nature of their construction and association with the receptacle, as described in the foregoing, disposed to close the discharge openings to tightly close the bottom of the sifter body. It is also contemplated to produce a less expensive form of the device Without the measuring cup and its means of attachment to the bottom end of the shell.

Another advantageous feature of the device is that the construction is such that it may be conveniently turned to reversed positions, as many times as need be to effect proper sifting of its contents, without necessitating the removal thereof.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sifter having a hollow body, an elongated guide loop mounted transversely in the body, supporting plates on the body, a rotatably supported shaft extending through and supported by the plates, a pair of screens fixed to opposed ends of the shaft outwardly of and parallel with the guide loop, a segmental gear fixed to the intermediate portion of the shaft, and a looped slide member mounted to reciprocate on the guide loop having a longitudinal portion providing a rack engaging the teeth of the gear for oscillation of the gear and screens upon reciprocation of the slide.

2. In a sifter having a hollow body, an elongated guide member mounted transversely in the body, supporting plates on the body, a rotatably supported shaft extending through and supported by the plates, a pair of screens fixed to opposed ends of the shaft outwardly of and parallel with the guide member, a segmental gear fixed to the intermediate portion of the shaft, a slide member mounted to reciprocate on the guide member having a longitudinal portion providing a rack engaging the teeth of the gear for oscillation of the gear and screens upon reciprocation of the slide, a pivoted handle mounted exteriorly of the body having operating connection with the reciprocatory slide, said lever beingmanually operable to move the slide in one direction, and spring means engaging the lever to resiliently move the slide in the opposite direction.

3. A sifter device, comprising a supporting shell having a wall provided with formations on which the sifter device is mounted, a channeled guide member having parallel side bars and fixed at its ends to the shell, a slide member mounted in the guide'rnember and having side bars slidably supported in the channels of the guide member, said slide having uniformly spaced openings in one side bar, a shaft, a gear on the shaft disposed to engage its teeth in the openings in the side bar of the slide, sifter screen means arranged in proximity with the guide member, hub devices on the screen means, the shaft journaled in the hubs, supports for the shaft, a pivoted operating lever, a spring normallyholding the operating lever in a passive position, and connections including a rod between the operating lever and the slide whereby to move the slide in the guide loop to rotate the gear and shaft and the screen means on the shaft.

4. A sifter device comprising a supporting shell having a wall provided with formations on which the sifter device is mounted, an elongated channeled guide member having parallel side bars and fixed at its ends to the shell, an elongated slide member having parallel side bars engaged in the channeled side bars of the guide loop to slide therein, the slide having uniformly spaced openings in one side bar, a shaft, means for supporting the shaft, a gear on the-shaft disposed to engage its teeth in the openings in the side bar of the slide, a pair of screens arranged above and below the guide loop, hub forming devices on each of the respective screens in which the shaft is journaled, a, lever pivoted at one end, a spring engaging the lever to hold it in a normally passive position, and connections including a rod'between the operating lever and slide whereby to move the slide in the guide loop to rotate the gear and shaft and the screens on the shaft.

THEODORE BAILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Evert Jan. 7, 1919 

